


stitch by stitch

by elegantidler



Series: pieced and bound [1]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Domestic Fluff, Double Drabble, Drabble, Early season 3, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Pre-Season/Series 01, Quilting, not technically a drabble any more but each chapter is a double drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-02-01 06:32:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12699333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elegantidler/pseuds/elegantidler
Summary: About Ed and his quilt





	1. solitary

**Author's Note:**

> The amount of people who care about both Gotham and quilting is population: me, but the quilt we see in Ed's loft during season 2 really does look like a scrappy patchwork quilt. And it's full of plaid blocks that echo his early wardrobe, and he's got that sewing machine and a jar full of scissors which every sewist can relate to.
> 
> Update-20 December: edited slightly bc I found hq stills of 2x09 and I can see the actual quilting design and it's repeating free floating diamond shapes, not diagonal lines. (Out of universe the set designer has said it was made in the 1920s out of a book of fabric samples for mens suits, so I wasn't actually that far off. And looking at the stills I can see that it was in fact hand quilted, not machine quilted)

Ed doesn’t have many personal items. His loft is filled with odd and ends he’s accumulated or snuck home from the lab over the years. All stacks of books and cold repurposed industrial pieces. 

He hasn’t kept anything from his childhood and he’s never had friends to give him things.

But he does have his quilt.

When he first got his forensics job and moved to this loft he didn’t have much. The few things he did have were a very old sewing machine rescued from the curb and a lot of old shirts that were worn through in places or spotted by chemicals. 

Cutting them apart was a little symbolic. They were from the period of his life that was always uncertain. 

He had a real job now, a life. A life he made. 

He spent days sewing all the squares together on his ancient machine and then even longer stitching the diamond pattern quilting by hand. He loses track of how many times he pricks his fingers and how many stitches he makes. 

It’s amateurish and uneven in places, and it’s full of mistakes. But it’s his, he made it. All on his own.

And sometimes that’s enough.


	2. united

Ed follows Oswald through the large and empty house to what Oswald said would be his room. 

His old quilt is spread neatly on the bed looking just as out of place in the stately manor as Ed feels. 

“You saved my quilt.”

“I regret that I wasn’t able to track down more of your things. It wasn’t—well that doesn’t matter now, I apologize.” 

A pause. 

“I…I know how much it means to you,” Oswald says at last, sounding almost shy now. 

No one has ever done anything like this for Ed before. He’s never mattered enough. 

His fingers trace the familiar, well-worn fabric, feeling the bumps of uneven stitches and old repairs, grounding himself.

Maybe he’s never mattered enough before, but right here, right now, he matters to Oswald.

And Oswald matters to him, more than he can really understand.

He doesn’t think he will ever have the words to express just how much this means to him.

His quilt is a reminder of the life he managed to build by himself but maybe, he doesn’t have to do it alone anymore. 

And ‘thank you’ is too small so he hugs Oswald for all he’s worth instead.


	3. warmth

The raging storm knocks the power out, plunging Ed, his book, and the manor into darkness.

Ed frowns, weighing his options.  

He pulls his quilt around him against the cold and sets off to see what Oswald is doing.

Carefully making his way through the darkened house he finds Oswald in the sitting room, coaxing a fire to life, candles already flickering on the table beside the tea tray.

Ed clears his throat, unsure what to say.

_He doesn’t have to say anything._

Oswald smiles at him as he sits back down and pours a second cup of tea for Ed.

Ed hesitates.

They’re still awkward around each other, afraid of this delicate _thing_ between them, afraid of how important it is, afraid they might shatter it.

He walks tentatively towards Oswald and sits, leaving a space between them.

Oswald rolls his eyes fondly and closes the space, resting his head on Ed’s shoulder, pulling the quilt around both of them, tangling their bodies together, close and warm and _safe_.

They sit together for a long time, listening to the storm and the fire.

And it’s so easy like this.

Maybe this is what ‘home’ is supposed to feel like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist one more very Soft moment.


	4. safety

Ed has never felt as content and safe as he does right now. 

The storm rages on outside but the quilt is a familiar weight and texture and Oswald wrapped around him is a new weight and warmth and he never wants this moment to end. 

But something nudges at his heart, pushing him to action. 

“Oswald?” He whispers.

Oswald doesn’t open his eyes but hums in response. 

“Oswald I have to tell you something.” More urgent this time.

Oswald opens his eyes and pushes himself up to turn and look at Ed. 

Ed freezes, unfreezes, braces himself silently and leans forward to kiss Oswald quickly before pulling back just as fast. 

Oswald blinks rapidly but Ed is too busy worrying the edge of the quilt, afraid to meet Oswald’s eye, to see. 

“What was that for?” 

His voice is gentle enough for Ed to look up at him. 

“You make me feel safe and wanted.” 

Ed hadn’t meant for it to come out like that and he sees the ghost of some great emotion flicker over Oswald’s face and has just enough time to start panicking before Oswald leans up to kiss him back, his lips gentle and warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I was working on other stuff for a bit but I had a particularly Trying Evening and needed something Soft to counter it.


End file.
